Centuri Aztarac: Finding THE Holy Arcade Grail…

Let me start by saying that this is the most amazingly poignant tale I’ve come across in arcade collecting circles. I’ve written before about incredible rare arcade “finds” that have happened over the years, including the yarn about the Sundance cabinet found in a long-abandoned building, and of course the epic Fun Ship raid.

But this story tops even those.

With a factory in Hialeah, Florida, Centuri produced arcade machines during the arcade Golden Age from 1980 until its eventual closure in 1985. Formed following the takeover of Allied Leisure by the former President of Taito America, it was responsible for some of the more memorable 80s arcade titles ever produced. These included Gyruss, Rip Off, Time Pilot, Hyper Sports, Track & Field and of course Phoenix. Most were licensed from Japanese developers, notably Konami.